I. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to computer networks and communications across computer networks. More particularly, the invention relates to the utilization of an idle open data channel by the device resources of a wireless device to communicate across a wireless network.
II. Description of the Related Art
Wireless computer devices that communicate data, typically in the form of packets, across a wireless or partially wireless computer network open a “data” or “communication” channel on the network such that the device can send and receive data packets. The computer devices often have computer device resources, such as programs and hardware components, which individually use open communication connections to transmit and receive data on the network. In existing networked computers, such as personal computers that connect through an Ethernet or other LAN, the device resources are polled when an open communication channel is present to see if the resource needs to send or receive data at that time. If the device resources do not need the open channel, then the device closes the open channel and simply reopens the channel if a device resource requires communication. Because the communication channel on the LAN is inexpensive to establish and utilize, the establishment of channels is transparent to the user.
However, a problem arises when a network communication channel between devices is expensive to establish, such as in a wireless network between wireless devices. One example of network having expensive communication channels is a cellular telecommunication network between cellular devices where every second of connectivity has an appreciable cost to the user. Cellular telecommunication devices have in many instances full computer functionality and device resources that need to communicate across the wireless network, and the device resources will communicate packets when an open communication channel is present, in a similar manner to a common Ethernet or LAN. However, conversely to a wire-based LAN, if a cellular telecommunication device resource needs to communicate across the network, it is not as desirous to establish a communication channel anew on the cellular network because such connection will effect a per second airtime charge. The cellular telecommunication device must therefore either open an expensive communication channel if the device resource communication requirement is sufficiently vital to offset the cost of doing so, or the device resource will simply wait until the user opens a communication channel intentionally and then communicate across the open channel prior to its closure.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a system and method that allows device resources to more efficiently use expensive bandwidth in network. The system and method should not cause interruption of other device functionality and other device resources that have priority in utilizing the open communication channel. It is thus to the provision of such a system and method to transmit data from device resources through expensive communication channels on a network that the present invention is primarily directed.